India postponed the start of their tour for three weeks from 8 to 29 November to avoid a clash with the Asian Games in Delhi.Originally, the Pakistan Board had rejected their request for a postponement on 8 October 1982. The Indians had felt that the cricket tour would distract attention from the athletics events and eventually Pakistan conceded this. However, India’s additional request for three Tests rather than six was refused.

Thus began an alarmingly intensive programme of tours in which the two countries would meet each other for a Test series every year, alternating the venue between Pakistan and India.The sixth Test of the 1982-83 series ended in Karachi on 4 February and the 1983-84 series would begin on 13 September in Bangalore. Inevitably, the leading players were falling over themselves expressing their unavailability to tour.

India did not select a reserve wicket-keeper to tour Pakistan, leaving the task to Yashpal Sharma, but they did choose two extremely young spin bowlers in Maninder Singh and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. They were far younger than any other Indian touring cricketers, the previous youngest having been Prakash Bandari who was 19 years and 36 days at the time of the first Test in 1954-55.

The 3-0 defeat inflicated on India was its worst record in a Test series against Pakistan.

The Indian Board confirmed the appointment of Gavaskar as captain on 22 October 1982.

Unavailable:

Tour Party Announced : 25 October 1982

Not Selected:

Time between selection and departure from India

32 days

(25 October - 26 November)

Travel

The tourists were seen off at Bombay on 26 November 1982, and arrived in Karachi by Indian Airways at 1:30 that day. They were driven straight to Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar where they laid a floral wreath.After an overnight stay in Karachi, they were taken to Quetta where they immediately played a one-day match.

Madan Lal was flown home for an operation on his injured foot.Sekhar arrived in Karachi on 20 January. The team benefited from the presence of a physiotherapist who had been added to the tour party on 7 November.

Fixtures/Results

† Quetta

Baluchistan Governor's XI(35 overs)

Won 4 w

Sahiwal

BCCP XI

Drawn

§ Gujranwala

Pakistan(1st ODI)

Lost 14 r

Rawalpindi

BCCP Patron's XI

Drawn

LAHORE

PAKISTANFirst Test

DRAWN

§ Multan

Pakistan (2nd ODI)

Lost 37 r

Multan

Punjab Governor's XI

Drawn

KARACHI

PAKISTANSecond Test

LOST inns 86 r

§ Lahore

Pakistan (3rd ODI)

Won scoring rate

FAISALABAD

PAKISTANThird Test

LOST 10 w

Peshawar

NWFP Governor's XI

Won 4 w

HYDERABAD

PAKISTANFourth Test

LOST inns 119 r

§ Karachi

Pakistan(4th ODI)

Lost 8 w

LAHORE

PAKISTANFifth Test

DRAWN

KARACHI

PAKISTANSixth Test

DRAWN

† not first-class

§one-day international

.

Time spent in Pakistan before First Test:

14 days

(26 November - 10 December)

Test appearances on tour

6 -Amarnath, Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Kirmani, Vengsarkar, Viswanath

5 -Maninder

4 -Doshi, Patil,

3 -Arun Lal, Madan Lal, Sandhu

2 -Sekhar, Shastri, Srikkanth, Yashpal

1 -

0 -Sivaramakrishnan

Highlights

•Mohinder Amarnath was India’s leading batsman, scoring three centuries and the highest aggregate of runs: 584 at 73.00 in six Test matches

•Sunil Gavaskar carried his bat, scoring 127* out of 286 at Faisalabad.

•Kapil Dev scored 50 in thirty balls at Karachi

•Kapil Dev was the leading Indian bowler with 24 wickets; no-one else took more than 8.

Tour Summary

P

W

L

D

Aban

Test Matches

6

0

3

3

-

Other first-class matches

4

1

0

3

-

Minor matches

1

1

0

0

-

One-day internationals

4

1

3

0

-

All Matches

15

3

6

6

-

Return to India

The team flew home from Karachi to Bombay on 6 February 1983.

Finances

The B C C Pguaranteed $80 000, approx Rs 9.50 lakh, for the tour. The Indian Board bore all boarding, lodging and internal travel costs, which were reciprocal arrangements.